Automonocycle



L. G. WILSON.

AUTOMONOCYCLE.

APPucMmm FfLED MAY 3, 1919.

Z SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented} July fl mm...

MZTM

L. G. WILSON. AUTOIVIONOCYCLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1919,

Rimmed July 6, 120.,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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LOUIE GLENN WILEON, U35 MURNING EUN, IOWA.

l tldd, with Application. filer]. lttay 3, 1919. serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l, LOUIE GLENN Winson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morning Sun, county of Louisa, State of llowa, have inventeda certain new and use- :tul Improvement in ltutomou cycle, and declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the same,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomalte and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

ldy invention relates to automonocycles. and means :tor propelling,steering and balancing the same.

ll he object is to provide an automontxiycle with adapted mechanicalmeans for the utilization oi the gyroscope reaction oi a conventionalform of gyroscope in the maintenance of stability.

another ohject is to provide an auto monocycle substantially as abovewith an air propeller in which it is possible to change the incidence oithe blades of said propeller so as to regulate the forward movement ofsaid vehicle or reverse the same,

without interfering with the constant running of the motor which drivessuch pro peller.

Another object is to provide an automonocycle substantially as abovewith means ct utilizing gyroscopic reaction produced by a disturbance ofthe plane of rotation oi a rotative wheel. embodied in said. gyroscopeto guide the vehicle.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side. elevation. ct my iInprm ed automonocycle.

llig. Q is a plan view partly cut away. l lo. an elevation of therotative wheel np; the air propeller blades.

l t is a detail view in fragmentary section oi? the rack and piniondevice tor changiiug the incidence of the props ler blades, taken online el-d oi Fig. 23.

l icg. is a perspective of the handle.

Fin. (3 is a sectional view of the handle.

Fig. 7 is a view of the rack andpinion operating means.

Numeral l designates the single wheel of the automonooycle. 2 is theaxle on which said wheel rotates. 3 is a forked member, carried one oneach extremity of aale 2, and which pivotally sru morts upwardlydiverginp; rods 4:. These rods are four in numher, two on each side ofthe wheel.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duly d, timid.

Rods are litted in cylinder members 5, which are pivotally attached tothe under sur'taceott a gyroscope casing 6 as at 7.

Cylinder members 5 are provided with compression springs 8, againstwhich rods 4i act as pistons.

The gyroscope casing supports in any suitable manner a seat 9, which isprovided with a ilioot-rest 10.

ll is the supporting rack, composed of two halves, one being provided oneach side of wheel 1, and adapted to be let down to support the cyclewhen the same is to be parked.

i2 is a mud guard.

13 is a fuel tanlr carried in the rear. of the seat.

1.4-. is the engine assembly. This is a conventional compression gasengine, and there is no claim of novelty to it. 15 and 15 designate twoopposed air cooled cylinders.

'ihese cylinders are provided with tins to increase the surface ofradiation. 16 is a generator. l? '15.; the crankshaft. 18 is a rotativewheel serving; not only as a propeller but also as a lily wheel. Theengine is complete for its'type and the details are conventional.

The engine assembly let is mounted upon shaft 19, which shaft 19 ispivotally mounted between two rearwardly projecting arms 20 and 20 ofthe frame.

To one extremity of the shaft 19 is at tached a short arm Eladapted forthe ap plication oii rotary force to shaft 19.

The engine is normally balanced on said shaft 19 as it is pivotallymounted between the rear ardly projecting arms of the frame .20 and 20@n the crank shalt 1'? is mounted a rotative wheel 18, provided withspokes 22, propeller blades f23three in number being here SllfiWll lDlltin such number as is thought desiralille. bluch propeller blades 23 aremounted on a longitudinal axis 24-. The imicr extremities of blades 23carry a pinion 25, which operates in connection with a rack 2h for thechanging of the incidence of the blades.

it will be seen that reciprocal movement of such rack over the pinionmay be made to produce the desired angle of incidence in the blades, asshown in Fig. 4i.

The inner ends of rack arms 26 are fastened to a disk 27, which isfitted with a grooved collar 28. Collar 28 receives and is in engagementwith a forked member 29, which forked member is provided with inwardlyprojecting lugs 30, adapted for engagementv in the groove of the collar.

Said disk with collar attached and carrying rack arms 26 is adapted fora longitudinal movement on shaft 17 by means of a rocker arm 31, whichis pivotally mounted at 32 to the rearward end of one of the cylinders.Said rocker arm 31 is operated by means of a chain composed of link 33,rocker arm 34; and link 35 connected with the operating handle at 36.

Handle assembly 37 is composed of two main handle portions 38 and 39.The handle 37 is pivotally mounted on the frame at 40.

The upper portion of said handle member 39 is normally held inengagement with the lower portion 38 by means of the enmeshed teeth at41 and the handle is operated as a whole backward and forward upon itspivotal point 1O (Fig. 6).

Said upper portion 39, however, is, as shown, adapted to be disengagedby merely lifting up and disengaging the mesh, when the upper portion 39may be reciprocatcd upon its vertical axis. This would reciprocatedownwardly projecting rod 412, which is permanently inset in said handleportion 35), oscillating the horizontal projecting arm 36, transmittinthe movement to link 33 which is pivotally connected at 36. Thus throughthe rack and pinion the incidenc. of the blades 23 may be changed.

A parallel chain is provided consisting of a jointed link 4L3 pivotallymounted to short arm 21, which serves to apply a tilting force to theengine assembly through the shaft 19. The forward end of link 43 ispivotally mounted to the lower extremity of handle 37 his chain isbrought into action when the handle is used as an entirety upon itspivotal point 40, the other chain in such use remaining idle. Thus eachchain is adapted for movement ineependent of the other.

ith the propeller blades set at that angle which will give the greatestthrust forward, the speed of the cycle may be regulated with outinterfering with the speed of the motor, by mere'y cl'ninging the setangle of the blades from the above position to one of zero orapproaching the zero position of forward thrust. The blades might evenbe moved to that position where the pull would be backward instead offorward.

It will thus be possible to deviate from the direct line of travel whilethe motor is running at a high speed by merely changing the incidence ofthe blades and then operating the steering mechanism, i. 6. it would bepossible to decrease the speed of the vehicle by such action to permitsuch deviation without decreasing the speed of the motor.

Gyroscope casing 6 ineloses a gyroscope suitably mounted on a verticalaxis, the pro pulsive means a motor likewise contained within thecasing. There is nothing novel in the form of gyroscope or its mountingor means for rotating the same. This gyroscope is prefercmtially mountedin an air tight casing so as to revolve in, cacao. It is a simple formof gyroscope with no automatic means for hurrying the procession. Theprecession however, may be accelerated and the machine maintained in itsupright position by the movement of the body of the rider.

Steering of the vehicle is secured by utilization of the principles ofgyroscopic l.(.2l(- tion. The rotative wheel 18 together with the engineassembly 14:, pivotally mounted as shown on axis 19, comprises a formof: gyrostat. By means of hand lever 37, a tilting force is brought tobear, through short arm 21, upon shaft .19, tending to disturb the planeof rotation of rotativc wheel '18. As a matter of fact practically notilting occurs, but the gyrostatic reaction which results serves to turnthe vehicle on its single wheel in the desired direction, depending uponwhether the impetus of tilting is upward or downward. lVith the rotativewheel rcvolving in a positive direction, c.countc1 '-clockvwise, viewedfrom the seat of the cycle, and the application of an upward tiltingforce through axis 19, there will. be a resulting reaction resisting thedisturbance of the plane of rotation of wheel 18, which will cause arotation about the vertical axis indicated by the point of contact ofthe single wheel with the earth in a positive direction or to the left.The machine could be guided to the right if the tendency to tilt weredownward. The reverse of this would be true if the rotative wheel wererotating in a reverse or negative direction.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In an automono -ycle, in combination with an air propeller fordriving the same, means for disturbing the plane of rotation of saidpropeller to accomplish the guiding of said cycle.

2. In an automonocycle, in combination with an air propeller rotating ina vertical plane, means for applying ion c tending to move said plane ofrotation from the ver tical to one at an angle thereto to accomplish theguiding of the cycle.

3. In an autoi'nonocycle. in combination with an air propeller rotatingin a vertical plane, means for applying force tending to disturb saidplane of rotation to guide the cycle.

4-. In an automonocyclc, in combination with an air propeller rotatingin a vertical plane at right angles to the direction of travel of thecycle, means for applying force tending to move said plane of rotationllll aaarav from the vertical to one at an angle there to to guide thecycle.

5. lln an automonocycle, a pusher air propeller rotating in a verticalplane on an axis parallel to the direction of travel, and means forapplying force tending to disturb said plane of rotation of saidpropeller from the vertical.

6. lln an automonocycle, an internal combustion engine, a driving shaft,an air propeller mounted on said shaft to rotate in a vertical plane,said engine shaft and pro peller balanced on a horizontal pivotal axisextending at right angles to the direction of travel, means for applyingforce tending to rotate said engine, shaft and propeller about saidhorizontal axis tending to move said air propeller from the verticalplane in which it is rotating to guide the cycle.

7. ln an automonocycle, an internal combustion engine, a driving shaft,an air propeller mounted on said driving shaft, said engine, shaft andpropeller balanced and mounted on a rotatable shaft pivotally mounted atright angles to the direction of travel and means for disturbing theplane of rotation of said air propeller through rotative force appliedto said rotatable shaft.

8. ln an automonocycle, in combination with a balancing gyroscope, aninternal combustion engine, a driving shaft, and a rotative Wheel on therearward end of said driving shaft, said rotative wheel consisting ofarim, hub and a plurality of air prpeller blades, said Wheel, shaft andengine assembly mounted and balanced for rotation about a horizontalshaft pivoted to the frame of said cycle, means for applying a forcetending to rotate said horizontal shaft to produce a disturbance of theplane of rotation of said rotative Wheel.

9. ln an automonocycle, the combination of an internal combustionengine, a driving shaft parallel to the direction of travel and an airpropeller mounted on the rearward end. of said driving shaft, said airpropeller, drivin shaft and engine assembly balanced and mounted on ahorizontal axis pivotally mounted at a right angle to the direction oftravel of the cycle, and means for applying a force tending to rotatesaid engine as sembly and air propeller about said horizontal axis.

l0. ln an automonocycle, thecombination of an internal combustionengine, a driving shaft, an air propeller mounted on said shaft, ahorizontal shaft pivotally mounted at a right angle to the direction oftravel of said cycle, on Which shaft are mounted and balanced said airpropeller, driving shaft and engine assembly, a short arm fixed to oneendof said horizontal shaft, and means for steering the vehicle byoscillating said short arm tending to disturb the plane of rotation ofsaid air propeller.

11. In an automonocycle, the combination of an internal combustionengine, a driving shaft parallel to the direction of travel of saidcycle, an air propeller on said driving shaft, a rotative shafthorizontally disposed at a right angle to said driving shaft on whichsaid engine assembly driving shaft and air propeller are balanced andmounted, and means for applying revolving motion to said horizontallydisposed rotatable shaft.

12. In an automonocycle, an internal combustion engine mounted on arotative shaft disposed at a right angle to the direction of travel ofsaid vehicle, an air propeller mounted on the driving shaft of saidengine, said engii'le assembly and air propeller balanced on saidrotative shaft so that said propeller will rotate in a vertical plane, ashort arm at one extremity of said rotative shaft, a lever pivoted bythe drivers seat, and linkage connecting said lever and short arm forthe application of force to rotate said shaft.

13. in an automonocycle, a gyroscope rotating in a horizontal plane sodisposed in a casing located With relation to the seat of the rider thatthe directed swing of the body of the rider Will accelerate theprecession of the same, a driving shaft, an ear propeller mounted on therearward extremity of said driving shaft, said engine assembly and airpropeller balanced and mounted so as to have a horizontal axis 011 whichit is pivoted for rotation, and means for applying rotative forcetending to disturb the plane of rotation of said air propeller.

l i. ln an automonocycle, a gyroscope rotating in a horizontal planeadapted for ac celeration of its precession by the directed swaying ofthe body of the rider, an internal combustion engine, a driving shaft,an air propeller mounted on said driving shaft to rotate in a verticalplane, said engine assembly, driving shaft and air propeller balancedand carried on a horizontal pivotally mounted shaft, a short arm on oneextremity of said pivoted shaft, means for applying force to said shortarm to rotate said shaft tei'iding to disturb the plane of rotation ofsaid air propeller from that of the vertical.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

LUlUllE GLENN l VlLSON.

